All or Nothing (EP 53: The Vegan Life Coach Podcast)

Are you, or someone you love, an “All or Nothing” kind of person?

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*Links mentioned in the episode are at the bottom of this page.


Most of our coaching clients describe themselves as “all or nothing” people, which is often revealed when we discuss their diet. The “cycle of self-sabotage” as we call it, involves taking “clean eating” to an extreme, restricting calories or cutting carbohydrates to a degree that is unsustainable until your willpower runs out and you overindulge, which turns into guilt and shame, which motivates you to restrict, and the cycle continues.

No more! We are helping you get a grip and discover how to create a way of eating and living that is SUSTAINABLE and gets you LONG-TERM results… We’re talking about a healthy and empowered vegan LIFESTYLE here!

Don’t get us wrong… going “all in” on being vegan is something different altogether. Being vegan is about living in a way that does not support the suffering, death, and exploitation of any and all living beings. 

Being vegan is about doing our part to make a positive impact on the world and protect our precious Planet. Being vegan is not about restricting food choices… It’s about celebrating the countless plant options, and making conscious and mindful CHOICES that serve us and other people and animals best!

We discuss it all and offer actionable strategies to help you take your power back in this fun and informative episode.

 


MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE

The Vegan Life Coach Podcast EP 7: Secret for Self-Coaching Success

 


CONNECT WITH US!

Take Our New Going Vegan Quiz HERE!  

Grab the valuable gift we have for you HERE.

Have a question you’d like us to answer, or feedback you’d like to give us (we love hearing from you!)? Leave us a voice (or written) message HERE.

Interested in receiving a free coaching session to air on an upcoming episode? Apply HERE.

Hogs & Kisses Farm Sanctuary Website

Dr. Elsa Spencer: A Fascinating Story of Passion & Resilience (EP 51: The Vegan Life Coach Podcast)

Throughout my conversation with Dr. Elsa Spencer, we bounced from how she became a vegan and her activism, to how she overcame childhood trauma and an eating disorder, to her favorite healthy brownie recipe.

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Subscribe: Apple Podcast | Stitcher | Spotify |  YouTube

*Links mentioned in the episode are at the bottom of this page.


It isn’t often that I get a chance to talk with someone who’s been vegan for longer than I have. Elsa’s expertise and authenticity is refreshing, and much of her story will resonate with our listeners (as it did for me) in powerful ways! Elsa reminds us of just how challenging life can be, and the beauty that can bloom from facing adversity.

Dr. Elsa Spencer, Nutritionist, Professor, Biologist (and So Much More!) 

Dr. Elsa Spencer earned her Ph.D. in nutrition in 2003. She trained as a researcher and teacher in various topics from cell biology to food chemistry and clinical trials throughout her education. Elsa understands what food can do at a molecular level, and she can break the information into bite-sized pieces. 

Throughout her career, Elsa has performed nutritional research, written papers on nutrition, gotten these papers published in medical journals, coached individuals in plant-based nutrition, and teaches at her local community college. She continues her passion for nutrition by coordinating food for a local plant-based children’s camp during the summer months.

One item that is critical to Elsa is making sure she gives back to the vegan community. She owes (and discusses in our podcast) her copious physical and mental energy to living her last 28 years as a vegan. She volunteers for the Vegetarian Resource Group, is a former intern for the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine, and is a regular contributor at Anonymous for the Voiceless Actions. 

When she’s not running around spreading the word about good nutrition, she can be found bicycling to work, challenging herself with yoga, and running (or walking) around Charlottesville, VA. 

The Discussion of Veganism

Elsa’s vegan story started about 28 years ago. During her freshman year of college, Elsa began toying around with the idea that she wanted to become vegan. While already a vegetarian, she and her high school friends decided that they wanted to do something about the environment and know more about animal cruelty. They believed they would be able to slow carbon emissions by omitting meat products from their daily diet. She realized that carbon emissions were still being released not only from cows killed for meat but also from dairy cows. It was the light bulb moment that turned her vegan.

As with every first-year student (Elsa kindly points out), the first year of college can be quite jarring. She had moved out of her home at 17, started going to college, lost her first serious boyfriend, and met her father for the first time. 

On top of those life-changing events, Elsa started to remember events from her childhood. Her eighteen-year-old brain decided that she was finally ready to old enough to remember the incidences of sexual abuse that had occurred when she was a child.

Feeling out of control, Elsa turned to food as something she had the power to control, which led to anorexia.

As she began to come to terms with everything, Elsa sought out a therapist who helped her through her eating disorder. The therapist also helped her realize she might have underlying OCD. 

Even now, at 46, Elsa still sees a therapist to help her work through her thoughts and emotions. While her eating disorder is well under control, she admits to it taking over a decade to get it truly sorted out. 

Life after College but Still a Full-Time Vegan

Elsa described how excited her in-laws were when they came to her with a quiche they made, incorrectly thinking it was vegan-friendly. She was touched that they tried, and when she asked what was in the meal, they responded, “no cheese, broccoli, and eggs . . . “ They had removed the dairy component but forgot about (or were unaware) that the eggs were not vegan. 

While she never compromised her veganism, even to appease her in-laws, Elsa saw that others around her did. She felt driven to spread awareness to everyone who wanted it, and this is where her spunk for activism stems from. 

She wants to make sure that everyone who wants information about veganism and plant-exclusive nutrition can find it easily. 

Three-Question Speed-Round (in Elsa’s words)

If you were a non-human animal, what kind of animal would you be? 

I go back and forth between a dolphin and a bird, but right now, I’m a bird. I love flying dreams. I’ve had very lucid dreams since I was about 12 years old. I could always just tell myself I’m going to fly, and I’d be flying, and then, of course, I’d wake up and realize that I couldn’t fly and I was so disappointed. 

But, it would be a bird, like a big soaring bird—like an eagle or a falcon or a hawk.

If you could choose a time or place that you could be reincarnated, what year and location would you choose? 

I have to say that I don’t know if I would ever go back in time. I was born still-born. My heart stopped when I was inside of my mother, and I was born blue and unmovable. While the doctors and nurses did give me CPR and extra oxygen, they told my mom that I would never walk, talk, and probably be quadriplegic because of the experience. 

I didn’t end up talking until I was three. However, I saved up all my words and built sentences, and I’ve barely stopped using them since. 

I’m very grateful for the life that I do have. Living in the century I do live in, in the Western world as a woman. I don’t know that I would have internalized all the classically-American values, but I would possibly choose France or Denmark (a properly socialist country). 

What is your favorite Dark Leafy Green? Your favorite nut? Bean? Sweet treats you can make or buy . . . 

Kale, pistachios, chickpeas, brownies (black bean, no salt, oil, or sugar, but used with date paste). You could do so many great things with them; you can add stuff (like nuts or dried fruits, or add peanut butter to the top).


MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE

Elsa’s LinkedIn

 


CONNECT WITH US!

Take Our New Going Vegan Quiz HERE!  

Grab the valuable gift we have for you HERE.

Have a question you’d like us to answer, or feedback you’d like to give us (we love hearing from you!)? Leave us a voice (or written) message HERE.

Interested in receiving a free coaching session to air on an upcoming episode? Apply HERE.

Hogs & Kisses Farm Sanctuary Website

Our Single Most Life-Transforming Tool: A Client Favorite! (EP 50: The Vegan Life Coach Podcast)

After having some fun with topics like being an introvert during the Pandemic and getting high off of Wim Hof’s breathing techniques, we dive into a discussion on Our Single Most Life-Transforming Tool (a client favorite).

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*Links mentioned in the episode are at the bottom of this page.


The “Power Pause” is a game-changer (just ask any of our coaching clients)!

In fact, one of our clients, Dawn, was so inspired she wrote an entire blog post on this tool for the Sexy Fit Vegan blog. 

The Power Pause is meant to allow you to explore your thoughts and emotions before you take action. It allows you to respond, with intention, rather than react and immediately fall into old unhealthy patterns (aka programs).  

With this tool, you have the power to become the designer of your destiny.

The Power Pause is the key step in our Self-Empowerment Coaching System, which you can learn about in Episode 7, and hear specific examples of by listening to this episode.

We often talk about being the observer, but we don’t realize how challenging it truly is… at first. Using the power pause is how we grasp the opportunity to become the observer of our thoughts and emotions. From there, we have the power to choose new thoughts that will serve us better. We then are able to CHOOSE our actions and can choose HEALTHY behaviors, like eating a nutrient-packed meal, rather than going for the junk out of habit. 

We had a client recently asked, “Am I denying myself of what I am truly feeling.”

Taking a power pause doesn’t automatically mean you’ll be seeing rainbows and unicorns. This technique is more of an opportunity to give yourself the chance to feel your feelings and then choose what you’re going to do about it. 

What we call “the human experience” includes both positive and negative emotions. When something sad happens, feeling sad is what needs to happen (NOT feeling sad is a symptom of a sociopath after all)!

Susan David puts it so eloquently in her extraordinary TED talk. She says, “Negative emotions are our contract with life. We cannot be fully human and experience negative emotions.” 

When Shye jumped off the bed last month, l felt guilty. If I had put her steps in the right place, maybe she wouldn’t have jumped. However, instead of getting lost in guilt and spiraling downward as I used to do, a took the Power Pause, and observed the guilty feelings, and the thoughts causing them. I chose new thoughts. “It’s not my fault. Accidents happen. It is what it is.”

I let myself be sad and scared that it was happening. I even gave myself a couple days to not be on my game (have a bit of a pity party), and after that, I figured it out. 

I didn’t overeat, under-eat, over-exercise, under-exercise; I just let myself sit in those emotions and was able to make healthy choices out of love for Shye and myself. 

Society tends to shame people, especially in this “positive” culture. It’s easy to get embarrassed when things are going wrong, which spirals into shame and then turns into dysfunctional patterns, even major emotional disorders including major depression, eating disorders, and destructive anger issues. 

So, your homework is to start practicing the Power Pause in your life every day. It takes practice, and you may not remember to take the pause in the moment. 

When you DO remember, you can use it to run back through the past situation. 

Think to yourself, how could the power pause have helped me at that moment? And then replay that information to you, approaching yourself with curiosity and compassion.  

With consistent practice, over time, the Power Pause will become part of your new “operating system” and will be the key to helping you build an empowered mindset and healthy habits for the rest of your life!


MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE

Episode 7 (Self-Empowerment Coaching System)

From Bitch to BFF: The Power of the Pause in Everyday Life


CONNECT WITH US!

Take Our New Going Vegan Quiz HERE!  

Grab the valuable gift we have for you HERE.

Have a question you’d like us to answer, or feedback you’d like to give us (we love hearing from you!)? Leave us a voice (or written) message HERE.

Interested in receiving a free coaching session to air on an upcoming episode? Apply HERE.

Hogs & Kisses Farm Sanctuary Website

To Cheat or Not to Cheat (EP 48: The Vegan Life Coach Podcast)

How would you like to build a relationship with food you never need to cheat on?!

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The idea of “cheat meals” and “cheat days” is one I became familiar with as a fitness professional and bodybuilding competitor. It’s a concept that goes hand-in-hand with diet culture. 

Most of our clients and Vegan Life Coach Academy members come to us wanting to remove the stress around food. They want to be free from obsessive thoughts about food and their bodies. They long for eating to simply be an enjoyable and easy part of life… A way to fuel and nourish their bodies without spending tons of time and energy thinking about what, when, where, or how much they need to eat every day to achieve the results they desire. 

In this episode we explore how using “cheating” as related to diet promotes disordered eating and self-sabotage. We share how our clients have been able to eliminate refined sugar from their diets permanently without feeling deprived. 

We discuss how to make the powerful mindset shifts necessary to create a balanced LIFESTYLE where there are no more wagons to get on or fall off… How refreshing is that?!

(All with the SIDE EFFECT of losing excess body fat FOR GOOD.)


MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE

EP 7: SECS

Wim Hof on Goop

Wim Hof on Russel Brand’s Podcast

Wim Hof App


CONNECT WITH US!

Subscribe to Ella’s Soul-Aligned Sunday Newsletter HERE.

Take the NEW FREE Self-Assessment to explore your relationship with food, exercise, and your body, and receive valuable, personalized insights and resources from Ella herself!

Check out Ella’s website HERE and learn about current coaching opportunities HERE.

Hogs & Kisses Farm Sanctuary Website

Stop Working Out to Burn Calories… Start Seeing RESULTS! (EP 47: The Vegan Life Coach Podcast)

Can you guess how many burpees you’d have to do to burn off the calories of just 3 Oreo Cookies (1 serving)?

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*Links mentioned in the episode are at the bottom of this page.


Check out episode  47 of The Vegan Life Coach Podcast to find out!

I use this phrase a lot: “You can’t outrun your fork,” meaning that no matter how insanely hard you work out if you’re eating unhealthy foods, you simply will not get results (which for most people means weight loss)… At least not for long.

So many people are stuck in a self-sabotaging cycle, using exercise to try to burn off the calories they feel guilty about consuming, which is not only unsustainable but flat out makes you miserable and can lead to injuries.

In this episode, we talk about the powerful mindset shifts that have helped our clients see permanent results, including weight loss and a strong, fit body for life. 

Make sure you’re a member of our Empowered Vegan Life tribe to join us for tons of FREE opportunities to help you build healthy habits and adopt an empowered vegan lifestyle that brings you joy, freedom, and abundance!


MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE


CONNECT WITH US!

Subscribe to Ella’s Soul-Aligned Sunday Newsletter HERE.

Take the NEW FREE Self-Assessment to explore your relationship with food, exercise, and your body, and receive valuable, personalized insights and resources from Ella herself!

Check out Ella’s website HERE and learn about current coaching opportunities HERE.

Vegan Life Coaching 101: Coaching vs. Therapy (EP 46: The Vegan Life Coach Podcast)

Since you’re listening to The Vegan Life Coach Podcast, it’s more than likely you’re actively seeking the tools you need to adapt, or at least move in the direction of a healthy vegan lifestyle.

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*Links mentioned in the episode are at the bottom of this page.


You’re probably invested in exploring the best ways to become empowered, tackle the limiting beliefs and obstacles standing in the way of becoming the best version of yourself. 

In this important episode, Stephanie & I discuss the differences between coaching, therapy, and counseling. With a better understanding, you can get clarity about the direction you may want to go when seeking professional guidance.

In a nutshell…

Therapy: Focused on taking care of underlying issues that drive dysfunction.

Counseling: Often a part of therapy, counseling focuses on specific life issues that arise. Therapy is more of an umbrella under which counseling can be a part.

Coaching: Future-oriented. Coaching can involve acknowledging the past in order to address unresolved issues that keep popping up, but it’s focused on mastering the tools you need to move forward powerfully in your life. It’s about helping you go from just functioning to thriving… An ordinary life, to an extraordinary life!

At the Vegan Life Coach Academy, we come from the perspective that, while it may be helpful to acknowledge your past, it is not helpful to focus on it. Understanding your core beliefs about who you are, what you are capable of can help you understand dysfunctional behavior, and from there, begin the “reprogramming” process. 

Check out the email I received from one of our 6-Week Intuitive Food & Fitness Coaching Program Clients:

I’m listening to the abundance part of the training and I just have to tell you how moved I am with your story. I can’t begin to tell you how grateful I am that you took that leap to do what you are doing to transform people’s lives! When I joined this program, I never imagined that my life would be transforming in the way it is. I  kind of realized but didn’t fully realize what an impact all the past hurts and resentments were doing on my life and spiraling me out of control to not take care of myself. I didn’t feel worthy. I could not get a hold of this crazy eating, binging, restricting, beating upcycle. 

I know there is a long way to go and a lot of work to be done, but you are so right, this was an investment of a lifetime and really made me put in the work and dedication that I wasn’t giving it before. I feel empowered beyond belief and owe it all to you ( and Stephanie too!) And it is spilling over into other aspects of my life, thinking about a future Reiki business with my sister, decluttering the house that I haven’t been able to do for years….You are so insightful,  inspiring, and knowledgeable, and should be so proud of the tremendous work you do! 

Thank you from the bottom of my heart for welcoming me into this program and I look forward to a long friendship from here!


MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE

Vegan Life Coach Academy

 


CONNECT WITH US!

Take Our New Going Vegan Quiz HERE!  

Grab the valuable gift we have for you HERE.

Have a question you’d like us to answer, or feedback you’d like to give us (we love hearing from you!)? Leave us a voice (or written) message HERE.

Interested in receiving a free coaching session to air on an upcoming episode? Apply HERE.

Hogs & Kisses Farm Sanctuary Website

To Get Sh*t Done Like a Boss Lady, Let Go of THIS! (EP 45: The Vegan Life Coach Podcast)

If you want to get sh*t done like a boss lady you’ve got to let go of perfectionism!

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Subscribe: Apple Podcast | Stitcher | Spotify |  YouTube

*Links mentioned in the episode are at the bottom of this page.


We start this episode with a personal celebration… I share my story of the negative thoughts and emotions that were triggered when I found out I had to wear a brace on my wrist for 6 weeks and wouldn’t be able to workout normally. I talk about how I used the Self-Empowerment Coaching System to turn those thoughts around, and what I discovered about my body as a result.

We also share some laughs with another edition of our new segment, “Lovin’ on the Haters” where we have some fun sharing the comments of our “haters!”

We then dive into the main topic of the episode…. Perfectionism.

We cover:

  • What it REALLY means to be a perfectionist (I’m a “recovering perfectionist” myself).
  • My personal journey getting unstuck by letting go of perfectionism and how I was able to build a six-figure business as a result.
  • Stephanie’s powerful strategies to help you let go of perfectionism and go from surviving to thriving!

Enjoy!


MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE

Episode on the Self-Empowerment Coaching System

Hogs & Kisses Farm Sanctuary Website


CONNECT WITH US!

Subscribe to Ella’s Soul-Aligned Sunday Newsletter HERE.

Take the NEW FREE Self-Assessment to explore your relationship with food, exercise, and your body, and receive valuable, personalized insights and resources from Ella herself!

Check out Ella’s website HERE and learn about current coaching opportunities HERE.

What’s Love Got to Do With It (EP 44: The Vegan Life Coach Podcast)

Let me share exactly how we came to decide the topic of “What’s Love Got to Do With It” for our latest The Vegan Life Coach Podcast episode (this is my text conversation with Stephanie)…

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*Links mentioned in the episode are at the bottom of this page.


Ella: The episode will be 5 days from Valentine’s Day… in case anything comes to mind related to Vday…

Stephanie: V-day is a made up holiday designed by Hallmark and Russell Stovers to make us spend money and eat candy?

E: Totally😆- so should we ignore it or challenge it?

S: Well, will we seem like the valentine equivalent of grinches or Scrooges if we challenge?

E: If we aren’t organized with our thoughts probably!

S: Maybe we could share alternative ways to celebrate…

Whether you think “Valentine’s Day is a made-up holiday designed by Hallmark and Russell Stovers to make us spend money and eat candy,” or not, most of us can agree that love is something we all want and need in our lives.

The holiday can be a source of joy or a source of stress and grief for different people at different points in their lives. If you’re single and don’t want to be, or you’ve recently had a tough break-up for example. 

The holiday can also cause strife between partners when they have different expectations for each other in terms of how it should be celebrated.

In this episode, we encourage you to try an alternative way to celebrate Valentine’s Day that could spread love to yourself and the world in more meaningful ways that bring you a deeper sense of fulfillment. Things like…

  • Donate/volunteer (e.g. Hogs & Kisses Farm Sanctuary)
  • Make a list of 10 things you love about yourself (or write a love letter to yourself)
  • Random acts of kindness

Sending you all lots of love!


MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE

Episode on the Self-Empowerment Coaching System

Hogs & Kisses Farm Sanctuary Website

Take Our New Going Vegan Quiz HERE!  


CONNECT WITH US!

Grab the valuable gift we have for you HERE.

Have a question you’d like us to answer, or feedback you’d like to give us (we love hearing from you!)? Leave us a voice (or written) message HERE.

Interested in receiving a free coaching session to air on an upcoming episode? Apply HERE.

Creating Unity Among Vegans (EP 43: The Vegan Life Coach Podcast)

In this special episode, guest co-host Anne Molina (founder of Hogs & Kisses Farm Sanctuary) and I discuss our mission to create healthy conversation around controversial vegan-related topics.

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Subscribe: Apple Podcast | Stitcher | Spotify |  YouTube

*Links mentioned in the episode are at the bottom of this page.


As Anne was doing research and networking with other animal-lovers in Facebook groups, she witnessed turmoil within many of these communities. The discussions all too often seemed to end up as unproductive arguments driven by ridicule and harsh judgment. 

Anne and I decided to produce a series of roundtable discussions to address tough topics in productive ways. We’re calling it, “Beet Around the Barn,” and the first episode will be coming out on our Hogs & Kisses YouTube Channel within the next month. We’ll be covering subjects like, “What exactly is a vegan?” “Should vegans adopt cats?” “What about dating as a vegan?” and so much more.

Stay tuned!

 


MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE

Hogs & Kisses YouTube Channel

Hogs & Kisses Farm Sanctuary Website

Take Our New Going Vegan Quiz HERE!  


CONNECT WITH US!

Grab the valuable gift we have for you HERE.

Have a question you’d like us to answer, or feedback you’d like to give us (we love hearing from you!)? Leave us a voice (or written) message HERE.

Interested in receiving a free coaching session to air on an upcoming episode? Apply HERE.

Picking Your Battles (EP 42: The Vegan Life Coach Podcast)

One of the most common challenges we tackle at Vegan Life Coach Academy is how to handle the people in your life who don’t “get it” when it comes to your decision to go/be vegan.

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Subscribe: Apple Podcast | Stitcher | Spotify |  YouTube

*Links mentioned in the episode are at the bottom of this page.


Vegan newbies are particularly vulnerable to being criticized and made fun of by the people in their lives who may feel threatened by the person’s lifestyle changes.

In this important episode, after having some fun with our “Lovin’ on the Haters” segment, we dive deep into the tools you need to navigate the critics powerfully and with grace.

After all, the best way to be an effective influencer is to inspire. And the more you can focus on your own growth, the sooner you can inspire other people as you radiate the love, strength, compassion, and confidence everyone strives for!


MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE

Vegan Life Coach Academy (Doors opening soon – for 48 hours only so get on the waitlist HERE!)

Episode #7: Reprogramming Your Mind

Take Our New Going Vegan Quiz HERE!  

Hogs & Kisses Farm Sanctuary

Live Ultimate (the supplement I mention in the intro)


CONNECT WITH US!

Grab the valuable gift we have for you HERE.

Have a question you’d like us to answer, or feedback you’d like to give us (we love hearing from you!)? Leave us a voice (or written) message HERE.

Interested in receiving a free coaching session to air on an upcoming episode? Apply HERE.